Rear end gear shift



March 25, 1941. F, c KNAUER HAL 2. 36.144

REAR END GEAR SHIFT Filed May-2'7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 YI/I/IIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII m I Q fzederzcn" /fizazwg Mmh 25, 1941. ,KNAUER Em 2,236,144

REAR END GEAR SHIFT Patented Mar. 25, 1941 2,236,144 BEAR END GEAR snrr'r Frederick C. Knauer, Berwyn, Md., and Charles P. Diehl, Washington, D. 0.

Application May 27, 1940, Serial No. 337,504 6 Claims. (01. 74-327) This invention relates to transmissions for motor driven vehicles and has special reference to a rear axle variablev transmission particularly adapted for use in motor trucks and other heavy I duty vehicles.

One important object of the invention is to provide a rear axle variable transmission whereby the long tail shaft of the vehicle may be, utider heavy duty, relieved from excessive stress and.

thus the breakage so common to this part of the mechanism may be reduced to a minimum.

A second important'object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be operated by a gear shift lever located at the front of the vehicle. 1

A third important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the rear wheels are simultaneously shiftable into the several gear positions.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein removal of a cover plate will afford full access to the complete rear axle mechanism.

A fifth important object of the invention is to so design the rear axle mechanism that grease may pass from one end of the device to the other; thus requiring only the application of grease at one point whenit is desired to renew or add to the grease already in the casing.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in generalof certain novel details of construction and combinations 0! parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the ac-' companying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts'in the .several views, and- Figure 1 is an outline view of those parts of a truck drive associated with this invention.

Figure 2-is an enlarged section on the line 2- -2 of Figure 1.

' Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a view of a modified means for connecting the differential shafts and the axles for direct drive.

Figure 8 is a detailed horizontal section showing certain standards herein set back from the enlarged section on the line 4-4 front plate whereby grease may pass from the middle'to both ends in a free manner.

The rear axle housing I0 is provided centrally with a frame including a pair of upright members ll provided respectively with alined bearing bosses I2 and i3. In the boss I3 is supported the hub of a bevel gear I which carries a spider l5 wherein is mounted a diametrically extending shaft l6 having a pair of confronting bevel gears l1 mounted thereon. In the boss of the gear 14 is journalled a shaft IS on which is fixed a bevel gear 13 meshing with the bevel gears I1. In the bearing i2 is journalled a shaft 20 whereon is fixed a bevel gear 2! also meshing with the gears ll, the gears l3 and 2| facing each other. At 1 each end of the housing l0 and alined with the shafts l8 and 20 are bearings 22 wherein are supported the rear axle sections 23 which carry the rear wheels 24. The inner ends of the axles are bored to receive theouter ends of the shafts l8 and 20. The gear I is driven in the usual manner by a pinion 24 mounted on the tail shaftv 25 common to motor vehicles. i

The gearing just described constitutes.a type of the differential gearing used to permit one of the shafts l8 and 20 to travel faster than the other when making a turn.

' In the lower part of each of the uprights II is provided a bearing 26 and [at each end of the housing is provided an alined bearing, Aiined jack shafts. 23 are supported in the bearings 26 and 21 amusement the outer end ofeach of these jack shafts is fixed a gear 29 which con stantly meshes with the outer part of a driven gear fixed on the ans 2;. On each shaft I3 and it there s splined a p'eiibrgeais an, and 32, the gear 3| being smaller than thegear 32 while thelatter is larger than the gear 30 and not only has external gear teeth but is hollow and inter;

nally toothed to fit on the gear 30 in one position of the gear 32. The gears 3| and 32 on each shaft have a hub in common so that they move together and the hub is grooved at 33 to receive a shipper fork 3* which will presently be described.

Oneach of the shafts 28 there is fixed a pair of spaced gears consisting of a larger inner gear 35 of proper size to mesh with the gear 3| and a smaller outer gear 36 of proper size to mesh with the gear 32. The gears 35 and 36 are so spaced that in one position of the combined gears 3| and 32 the gears 3| and 35 are in mesh, this being for low gear. In a second position gears'3l and 32 are outof mesh with gears 35 and 36 and lie between them, this being in neutral position. 55

10 'vem nt; of meters 02in opposite "The tars" 40 carrvthforks 3Pso that the pairs of gears 3| and 32 may be simultaneously moved. into and out of their various positions. I

The gear 4! is fixed on the end v shaft 42 which extends forwaid' thiou'gli ing box 45, being supported in bearings' fl steering part of the vehiclegcarries s-braclge ts wherein is mounted a shaft 46 geared t the 20 42 as at 41 and provided on its uppei endwwfth emmerrertvemaad .in lu-d (IGc-ieiailysextending;sha

vehicle drives. I

mayhcsmmlfi df 13116? forwardueiffigs' g;

gre s t permanently connectingithei jack;shafand axles including a gear fixed on each axle, change-speed 'gearihgioni eachzj'ack? shaft :and a:corre m in eii't'i'onedlpshaftaandj. including gears splined;

ing, a differential gearing therein adopted to be motor driven and including a pair of alined laterally extending shafts, a pair of axles journalled in the ends of the housing and alined with the first shafts, a pair of jack shafts journallecl in the housing parallel to the first shafts, gearing permanently connecting the jack shafts and axles including a gear fixed on each axle, a pair of spaced gears fixed on each jack shaft comn inner large "gear and outer small hired on each of the first pair of shafts and adapted to mesh "respectively with the pair of gears on the corre- Y H gears on the jack shaft, a pair of conrbxi'ti rack bars, means for actuating the rack bars.;injopposite direc tions including a gear thereetvveenJand gear actuating means, and shipper f orks carried by the rack bars and engaging the $532111 ;a rear axle gear shift, a rear axle hous al gearing therein adopted to be d intrudinga 'paii of alined' latair'of 'axles' journalled eetirig the jak-s'hafts' andaxles A xed on e'a'ch' axle; aipair-iof ch jack shaftrcomprising rid 'an outer smalLgear, a

I opposite directions includinga gear therebetween and gea "actuating means 'and shipperrforks caried bi the"; Table barsand' engaging the pairs of shafts being spaced to permit the -'pairs onuthe ing, a differential 'ge'aringrthereinaaclopt'ed to be i p'air fl'ialihed latw pair: e'of: axleshjopr' eluding "ihousingmndvalinedwith shaft aj p'air ofxjack shaitsyjourna-lled ing permanently connecting' i'th'e"iackfshafts"and f spaced gearsifixed :@maeaea jack-shaft comprisng an inner ar'g e geariandlan outer small. gear, fpair of dorin'ect'ed"gea'rszsplined; on v each; of' the opposite directions including a gear-.therebetween and ge r actuatingr'rie'a'nl i and shipper forks carried by-the rack bars-and e'ngagingl the pairs of gears onthe first s'haftsysaida:gears' onrt-he Jack shafts being spaced to permit the' pairson the first shafts to lie'between t h'em without engagement. I

5. In a rear *axle'gea'r shif'tfa iear a'xlefhousing a differential gearing thereinadopted to be motor driven andincludinga pair of" aline dlaterallyt extending shafts a pair of a. es jou'rnalled A [pair of em prising an inner large gear and an oyter small gear, a pair of connected gears splined on each of the first pair of shaftsand adapted to mesh respectively with the pair of gears on the corresponding gears on the jack shaft, 9. pair of confronting rack bars, means for actuating the rack bars in opposite directions including a gear therebetween and gear actuating means, and shipper forks carried by the rack bars and engaging the pairs of gears on the first shafts, said-gears on the jack shafts being spaced to permit the pairs on the first shafts to lie between them without engagement, the outer gear on each first shaft being and the gear on each axle being provided with coacting toothed clutch means for positive engagement of the two.

6. In a rear axle gear shift, a rear axle housing, motor driven and including a pair of aiined laterally extending shafts, means for mounting said pair of shafts spaced from one side of the housing to permit passage of grease between said side a differential gearing therein adapted to beand said means, a pair of axles journalled in the ends of the housing and aiined with the first shafts, a pair of jack shafts journalled in the housing parallel to the first shafts, gearing permanently connecting the jack shafts and axles including a gear fixed on each axle, a pair of spaced gears fixed on each jack shaft comprising an inner large gear and an outer small gear, a pair of connected gears splined on each of the first pair of shafts and adapted to mesh respectively with the pair of gears on the corresponding gears on the jack shaft, a pair of confronting rack bars, a gear between said rack bars and meshing therewith, means to actuate the last mentioned gear and thereby to cause movement in'opposite directions of said rack bars simultarieously, and shipper forks carried by the rack bars and engaging the splined gears to move said gears along their shafts.

FREDERICK C. KNAUER. CHARLES P. DIEHLV 

